Fire in Sarawak, Malaysia kills Indonesian migrant worker

Another worker suffered burns to 36% of his body; the cause of the fire remains under investigation

An Indonesian migrant worker was killed and another man seriously injured after a fire swept through workers’ living quarters in Betong, Sarawak, Malaysia.

At 6:36am on December 1, the local fire and rescue department in TH Pelita Meludam received a distress call, The Borneo Post reported. Firefighters from the Betong Fire Station were dispatched to the scene.

The victim, Ardi Darmawan, 23, was pronounced dead at the scene. A 22-year-old co-worker named Hermansyah reportedly suffered burns to 36% of his body and was rushed to a nearby clinic on a plantation workers’ vehicle.

Darmawan’s body has been handed over to the police for further investigations.

Firefighters concluded their rescue operation at 9:10am. Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the blaze.

Preliminary investigations concluded that there were only two men from Indonesia residing in the living quarters.